It's the first thing anyone looks at when there's a figure in a painting: the details of the human head and face. There's far more to creating an accurate portrait than meets the eye, and that's exactly what this extremely focused, richly visual guide teaches artists.

Draw amazingly accurate portraits starting today! Even if you're an absolute beginner, you can render strikingly realistic faces and self-portraits! Instructor and FBI-trained artist Carrie Stuart Parks makes it simple with foolproof step-by-step instructions that are fun and easy to follow. You'll quickly begin to: • Master proportions and map facial features accurately • Study shapes within a composition and draw them realistically • Use value, light and shading to add life and depth to any portrait • Render tricky details, including eyes, noses, mouths and hair Proven, hands-on exercises and before-and-after examples from Parks' students ensure instant success! It's all the guidance and inspiration you need to draw realistic faces with precision, confidence and style!

Drawing the Head for Artists is the definitive modern guide to drawing the human head and portrait, featuring the classic mediums and methods of the Old Masters. Written by celebrated portrait artist and veteran studio instructor Oliver Sin, this richly informative and beautifully illustrated volume leads readers step-by-step through his method, from establishing a point of view to applying the timeless principles for creating an accurate and expressive likeness. Among the topics covered: Essential Materials & Techniques:Learn about necessary supplies and basic drawing techniques, including hatching, various stroke styles, and blending. Applying the Essentials: Explore how the concepts of sight-sizing, value, negative space/shapes, and plane changes factor into a portrait’s underlying structure. Techniques for Creating Depth & Dimension:Investigate how contrasting shapes, overlapping forms, and linear and atmospheric perspective are used to enhance depth. Creating the Illusion of Three Dimensions: Examine how edges—contours as well as changes in value—are used to convey three-dimensional form. Brimming with striking images that document all the phases and details of the author’s process, Drawing the Head for Artists inspires and informs all artists, from aspiring to accomplished, on how to successfully portray the physical subtleties and emotional eloquence of the human face. The For Artists series expertly guides and instructs artists at all skill levels who want to develop their classical drawing and painting skills and create realistic and representational art.

In this innovative guide, master art instructor William Maughan demonstrates how to create a realistic human likeness by using the classic and highly accurate modeling technique of chiaroscuro (Italian for “light and dark”) developed by Leonardo da Vinci during the High Renaissance. Maughan first introduces readers to the basics of this centuries-old technique, showing how to analyze form, light, and shadow; use dark pencil, white pencil, and toned paper to create a full range of values; use the elements of design to enhance a likeness; and capture a sitter’s gestures and proportions. He then demonstrates, step by step, how to draw each facial feature, develop visual awareness, and render the head in color with soft pastels.

Here is an essential guide that is head and shoulders above the rest! In The Head, expert Andrew Loomis teaches you the basics of drawing the human head, including detailed drawings of a variety of male and female models in different poses. First he covers the basic proportions of the head and the proper placement of facial features. Then he shows you how to render light and shadow, as well as exploring simple techniques for capturing an array of facial expressions and depicting differences in type and character. This comprehensive guide is a welcome addition to any artistÆs drawing reference library!

Having trouble drawing a nose that looks like a nose? In this step-by-step guide, Lee Hammond will teach you how to draw realistic-looking portraits of your favorite people—more easily than you ever thought possible. Really! The secret is in the blending: With pencil and paper, Lee shows you how to create gradual, smooth shadings of light and dark to replicate the subtle contours of skin…and how to use these simple shading techniques to make any shape look three-dimensional. After you've got the basics down, you'll see how to draw every part of the face. It's made easy by looking at each feature as simple, interlocking shapes, then adding the right highlights and shadows. In no time, you'll be drawing realistic noses, mouths, eyes, ears…even facial expressions. Then you'll see how to put all those features together to create an expressive portrait that actually looks like your subject! Step-by-step demonstrations guide you all the way.

There's more to great cartooning than drawing a funny face. You need to match that head to a body, give your character expression and attitude, and move him this way and that to tell your story, all while keeping his look consistent from frame to frame. Cartoon 360 covers every angle of drawing fantastic cartoon people, from coming up with fresh ideas for an endless assortment of faces, to bringing your work to a polished, professional finish with inking and coloring. Harry Hamernik's three-dimensional drawing method helps you design fun cartoon characters from head to toe AND draw them again and again, from any angle and in any pose you want. Easy-to-follow demonstrations show the start-to-finish evolution of a variety of character types and poses. Every page is loaded with fun examples and expert secrets, like the amazing power of feature spacing and head height measurements. A power-packed, must-have guide for anyone who wants to draw cartoons, this book contains enough skills and insights to go around—for characters that pop off the page.